Actress Lee Joo-bin Reflects on Her Journey from Teenage Jobs to Leading Roles

"I had my first part-time job in middle school, earning 2,400 won per hour. I remember not receiving the full amount due to a training period. That experience taught me the value of money, and I still tend to be frugal."

On the 13th, an interview was conducted with actress Lee Joo-bin, who starred in tvN's 'Spring Fever,' as the series concluded. Lee shared stories from her life and career. 'Spring Fever,' based on a web novel of the same name, is a romantic drama about the icy-hearted teacher Yoon Bom (played by Lee Joo-bin) and the passionate Seon Jae-kyu (played by Ahn Bo-hyun), whose love thaws their frozen hearts. The show concluded on October 10th with a peak rating of 5.7% (Nielsen Korea, paid households), marking a successful end.

Lee Joo-bin played Yoon Bom, an ethics teacher at Shinsu High School and a self-imposed outsider with a frozen heart. Once lively, she suffered a deep emotional wound due to false accusations of an affair. However, after meeting Seon Jae-kyu in Shinsu-eup, she gradually opens her heart and overcomes her past wounds. Lee's portrayal of Yoon Bom's journey from pain to healing through love received critical acclaim.

Lee Joo-bin debuted in the entertainment industry with SBS's 'Whisper' in 2017, having previously been a trainee for DSP Media's girl group. Although she didn't debut at a particularly young age, she steadily built her filmography as an actress. She gained recognition as a supporting lead in tvN's 'Queen of Tears' in 2024 and later secured main roles in tvN's 'Divorce Insurance' and KBS2's 'Twelve.'

Despite high expectations for her first leading roles, both projects did not achieve significant commercial success. However, in this year's 'Spring Fever,' Lee successfully captured the essence of the original work while adding her unique charm, earning praise and reaffirming her presence as a leading actress.

Lee Joo-bin recalled, "I had to become completely independent around the age of 21 or 22, managing my own housing and tuition. I've always had a strong sense of economy and self-reliance." She added, "I scheduled part-time jobs on school breaks or worked as a fitting model. I did a lot of part-time work, including makeup modeling, shooting commercials, and even amateur modeling abroad."

She continued, "When I was under contract with a company, I couldn't do those jobs, so I worked even more before that. During my college years and twenties, I tried every experience I could. I'm not sure if those experiences helped my acting, but they allowed me to focus solely on acting after my debut."

Lee Joo-bin shared, "With my parents' consent, I worked as a server at a family restaurant in middle school. I also baked pizzas and operated ovens at a pizza place. I continued working part-time throughout high school, trying almost every job available in Korea."

"Before I started acting, I spent a lot of time with friends, enjoyed socializing, and traveled extensively. I have no regrets about my twenties because I lived them to the fullest."

Reporter Lee So-jung, TenAsia forusojung@tenasia.co.kr